Lose water weight by using wrapping technique

Johnny Ornelas

Staff Editor

Remedy Daily

Vicks VapoRub is a staple in many homes due to its use in aiding with colds, fevers and chest pains, but you may not know that the cream can be used to lose weight and improve the look of certain parts of your body. Many spas offer a wrap therapy that they claim tightens skin and aids in weight loss. According to WebMD, these wrap therapies became popular in the '80s and '90s.

Now you can do your own spa therapy at home using plastic wrap and Vicks VapoRub. The process involves rubbing VapoRub on your skin and then wrapping the same area in plastic wrap.

According to Step to Health magazine, camphor, the active ingredient in Vicks VapoRub, can be used to "stimulate fat burning" in certain areas of the body. However, WebMD says the VapoRub and plastic cause the body to sweat, which causes water loss, not fat. Still, the result is loss of weight.

WebMD notes that the weight loss is temporary, just a day or two, but it can be great for losing that extra inch to fit into a dress for a special occasion. In the video below, YouTube user Danielle Stewart shows how plastic wrap therapy (using vitamin E oil and Epsom salt) reduced her waist by an inch after 45 minutes.

Step to Health magazine recommends mixing the Vicks VapoRub with rubbing alcohol and baking soda. According to the magazine, this combination can help reduce the appearance of cellulite and moisturize your skin.

According to LiveStrong, the oils in Vicks VapoRub might help minimize the appearance of stretch marks. While the cream can't work miracles, the oils and active ingredients in VapoRub "may make overly stretched skin feel softer and can reduce a dry appearance that makes stretch marks stand out." However, LiveStrong points out that no topical cream has yet been proven to do so.

Have you tried the plastic wrap therapy before? Did it work for you? Let us know, and check out the video below to see a step-by-step guide for doing your own weight-loss wrap.